Tenth Round KnockoutSample

His Power

Plague 8: Locusts

Before the next plague, God reminded Moses that He had hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and that more disaster was yet to come. He also shared His reason for doing—God wanted the Israelites to witness the awful plague of locusts and tell their children and grand-children how God stripped Egypt bare. He wanted them to tell the story of His power and greatness, from generation to generation.

Does your heart beat for the future of God’s people, or are you so concerned with your own small corner of history that you can’t see the importance of the parts of His story yet to come? Do you tell your children about the way God has worked in days past, and in your own life? Do you invest them with the great story of His redemptive plan, so that it can still be told long after you are gone? Oh, that we would be about telling the next generation of the power of God!

When Moses predicted the plague of locusts, Pharaoh tried again to strike a deal with Moses and with Israel’s God. Have you ever imagined that you could strike a deal with God for partial obedience? Partial obedience is usually mitigated disobedience. Trusting God’s leading doesn’t mean fanatically leaping off the edge; neither does it mean that we can partially step off. We are to be listeners, not deal makers with God. Moses’ request was clear as crystal, Pharaoh thought he had bargaining chips left on the table. His officials pleaded with him to relent when they heard Moses’ prediction, saying, “Let the people go, so that they may worship the LORD their God. Do you not yet realize that Egypt is ruined?” But the sultan of slaves would not relent, and he waited for the bell to ring for the ninth round.

Pharaoh’s next ante was the suggestion that Moses might take only the men out of Egypt. When Moses replied that everyone—men, women and children—was to leave Egypt, Pharaoh refused and drove Moses and Aaron out of his presence. Moses understood that following God’s instruction for Israel was an “all or nothing” deal, even if Pharaoh did not. Then at God’s command, Moses stretched out his hand over Egypt and great clouds of locusts swarmed, devouring everything in the fields and covering the ground until it was black and until nothing green remained in the land.